Debate has been heated in some places, particularly in the United States, when it comes to the wearing of face masks. Some have claimed enforced mask-wearing is an infringement of their civil liberties, while others believe that those who do not wear face masks are being extremely selfish and create a lethal danger for others. Well, in one province in Indonesia, the authorities have dished out a unique punishment for those that were caught not wearing a facemask.
8 people in the Gresik regency in East Java were forced to dig graves as punishment for their flagrant disregard for the safety of others.
The punishment was handed out by Creme District Head, Sunyono, who said according to The Jakarta Post:
"There are only three available gravediggers at the moment, so I thought I might as well put these people to work with them. Hopefully this can create a deterrent affect against violations."
Two people are assigned to each grave, one to dig the hole and one to place in the boards upon which the body sits. The idea is that by bringing people closer to the place where they may end up if they don't wear a mask, they are more likely to carefully consider their future choices.
Indonesia has recorded 233,000 CoVid-19 cases officially, though the true number is believed to be vastly higher. They have also recorded over 9,000 deaths. Globally the pandemic has resulted in over 30 million official cases, again the true number is believed to be far higher, and almost 1 million deaths.
It is hoped that a vaccine will be ready near the beginning of 2021. However the logistics of immunising the world's population, particularly in poorer countries, will be extremely difficult and time consuming. The World Health Organisation and most governments state that the wearing of face masks, for the time being, reduces the spread of the disease, particularly in enclosed settings.
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